When De Beers Group’s Venetia Mine had a requirement for safety training, it turned to specialist KBC Health & Safety, a provider of Onboarding, training and contractor management solutions throughout Southern Africa. Venetia and KBC have enjoyed a long-standing relationship since 2012, reports Technical Training Manager Koos Nel, who himself has been with the De Beers Group for 32 years.
“For us it was a strategic decision to not in-source our safety training requirements. You definitely need a specialist in this regard, as it is not traditional technical training and the environment is constantly changing,” comments Nel. Venetia utilises the services of KBC Health & Safety, an authorised training provider of the Anglo American A1 and A2 training programmes.
“Safety training is one of the very first pillars that we want to comply with to ensure the safety of our employees and contracting partners. We measure it consistently on a monthly basis to ensure that all of our employees and contractors are appropriately trained. It is through KBC’s expertise that our business continues to adhere to the strict safety requirements of the mining industry,” highlights Nel.
Nel explains that Venetia does not differentiate between employees and contractors, and maintains a standard that, within six weeks of Onboarding, the A series of induction training must have been completed successfully by all. KBC also provides a dedicated trainer that not only facilitates the training, but also interacts with all employees and contractors to ensure that they are in line with the standards required.
In terms of Venetia’s ongoing relationship with KBC Health & Safety, Nel reveals that the operation plans to train about 120 people on legal liability in the near future. “One of the main value-additions of the service provided by KBC is that it takes care of some of the specialist safety-related content development requirements in terms of ongoing training. We have maintained a relationship with KBC for a long time now, and will continue to do so,” points out Nel.
KBC’s business model adds direct value to corporate clients, contracting companies, individuals and communities by streamlining Onboarding and improving legislative compliance by partnering with its clients to guarantee time-saving and cost-reduction.
“Our clients receive world-class training, with learning methodologies aimed at increasing knowledge retention and systems designed to put the power of compliance back into the control of our clients and their contractors. Our vision is to create a NO HARM Culture for generations to come,” concludes KBC Health & Safety Marketing Specialist Lara Clarke.
